Lai says Taiwan must raise cost of war, build indigenous defense to deter China

Taipei, Dec. 28 (CNA) President Lai Ching-te (賴清德) said Taiwan must continue to raise the cost of aggression and strengthen its indigenous defense capabilities to deter China, stressing that peace can only be secured through strength, in an exclusive interview with Sanlih E-Television that aired Sunday.

Addressing claims by U.S. defense officials that Chinese President Xi Jinping (習近平) has instructed the People's Liberation Army to be ready for a Taiwan invasion by 2027, Lai said what's important is Taiwan's response.

"If China sets 2027 as the year to be ready for an invasion of Taiwan, then we have only one choice: to keep raising the difficulty so that China can never meet that standard. Taiwan will naturally remain safe," Lai said, when asked about the likelihood of a Chinese attack on Taiwan and the urgency of the threat by "History & Herstory" host Cheng Hung-yi (鄭弘儀).

Lai said China's ambition to annex Taiwan has been a long-standing national policy, citing past conflicts such as the 1949 Battle of Guningtou and 1958 Taiwan Strait Crisis.

Taiwan has remained secure for decades because China lacked the capability to act, he said during the interview that took place at the defense ministry's 209th Arsenal, a key facility for producing wheeled armored vehicles such as the CM-32 "Clouded Leopard."

"Crossing the sea (Taiwan Strait) is itself a difficult challenge. When Russia invaded Ukraine, it simply drove tanks in directly," Lai said, but he added that Taiwan "cannot be complacent" and should continue to build up its defense capabilities.

The president reiterated that his administration would not provoke China and remains "firmly committed to maintaining the status quo."

At the same time, he stressed that peace "must be backed by real strength," rather than relying on an agreement or the goodwill of an aggressor, noting that history shows negotiations without leverage inevitably lead to surrender.

Lai also pointed to growing international consensus on the importance of Taiwan's security, saying G7 leaders have repeatedly affirmed that peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait are indispensable to global security and prosperity.

"In other words, China's threat is not simply Taiwan's problem, but an international issue, particularly one for countries in the Indo-Pacific region," he said.

He said that increased defense spending by Japan, South Korea, Australia, the Philippines and European Union members reflects a broader move toward collective defense.

Within this context, Lai said Taiwan must take responsibility for its own security by strengthening defense and investing in indigenous capabilities. He said defense autonomy would enable Taiwan to design, manufacture, maintain and upgrade its own weapons systems.

His administration is advancing a multi-year special defense budget aimed at building a multilayered "T-Dome" air defense network, developing an AI-enabled battlefield intelligence support system, and accelerating the upgrading and transformation of Taiwan's domestic defense industries, Lai said.

He said developing indigenous defense industries would not only enhance security but also drive long-term economic growth.

Taiwan already has a strong heavy-industry base and plans to expand defense self-reliance across a wide range of areas, from aerospace and satellite communications to ammunition, drones, unmanned surface vessels, unmanned underwater vehicles and robotics, Lai said.

Taiwanese firms have already joined major global supply chains in the United States and Europe, the president noted.

"Taiwan's industries are ready," Lai said, urging opposition parties to support defense spending in the interest of national security.